The year’s finest 25 45s
We already knew from their 2020 single ‘Gotta Have You’ that the pairing of house heavyweight Riva Starr and underground techno baron Mark Broom was an inspired one. But what we weren’t quite prepared for was quite what an outrageous, life-affirming soundclash of disco, house and techno ‘Love Will Remain’ was going to be when it turned up in our inbox. Sounding like it had come straight off the streets of New York – the camp spoken word portion is pure ‘Drag Race’ – but supercharged with a very London techno attitude, it’s like hearing what Jeff Mills and Bucketheadz might have come up with after a sweaty afternoon in the studio together. Then they only go and repeat the trick on flip track ‘I’ve Got Joy’, an equally pounding but simultaneously sexy affair with a diva female vocal being brought to the boil. Like some missing link from house’s origins in Chicago to right now, it’s spectacular, laughably simple and, well, single of the year for absolute starters.
2. Theo Parrish – It’s Out Of Your Control (Sound Signature)
Theo Parrish fans have had plenty to purr over this year, with a flurry of titles arriving from the Detroit maestro in quick succession over the summer, followed by his comprehensive ‘Detroit Forward’ DJ Kicks special. ‘It’s Out Of Your Control’ arrived hot on the heels of last month’s brilliantly off-kilter ‘Weirdo’, and coming on like a cosmic leviathan, it’s the track’s gargantuan bass of ‘It’s Out Of Your Control’ that quickly grabs the headlines. The original version features haunting vocals from Maurissa Rose, seductively swirling over ad-lib chords as driving percussion and stealthy synth textures complete the sonic tapestry, while the flipside instrumental version sees rhythm take the lead, with the unrelenting bass and irresistibly free-spirited percussion gently embellished by grainy chords and analogue refrains. Stripped to its barest essentials, the music comfortably survives with its floor-focused intention firmly intact, with this deep but powerfully forceful cut surely ready to be counted among Theo’s most club-centric.
3. Kerri Chandler – Spaces & Places Pt3 (Kaoz Theory)
We could have picked any of the four samplers for Chandler’s Spaces & Places albums for this chart, but in the end this one – the third in the series – proved to be our favourite. From the stripped groove and atmospheric chords of opener ‘Feelin Red’ to the rolling bass, misty pads and trademark shuffle of closing track ‘Let It (Full Instrumental Mix)’, there’s plenty to admire here. Other highlights include the rugged percussion and driving stabs of club weapon ‘Industria’, the thick chords and hands-in-the-air thrust of ‘Keep One (But Do It Again), or the luscious instrumentation and hypnotic Afro charge of 15-minute epic, ‘The Calling’. Classic US garage vocals arrive too, with Dora Dora providing soul-flecked lyrics over the tough drums and shimmering piano chords of ‘Who Knows’, while the vocal mix of ‘Let It’ adds a fluid soulful flow to the already compelling orchestration. Authentic deep house pours from the New Jersey master, and the third edition sampler does a fine job wetting the whistle of those patiently waiting for the soon-to-arrive long-player.
4. Josh Wink – Detroit Stab (REKIDS)
A loopy chunk of gently warming techno hypnotism marked out by swirling pads, simmering and spacey chords, restless machine drums and – you guessed it – tasty organ stabs, while on the flip ‘May Minimal’ is sparse and druggy, with a trippy, constantly evolving lead line winding its way in and out of a jacking drum machine groove and flashes of wonky electronics. Wink’s debut for REKIDS – if you don’t count his Radio Slave remix some 15 years ago that is – and it’s well worth the wait.
5. Paranoid London feat Mutado Pintado – Suck A Dick (Paranoid London)
If, as we would contest, acid house in its purest form has enjoyed quite the comeback this year, then it’s Paranoid London who are at the crest of its revivalist wave. Here, replacing their usual EP-cover representation of Big Ben with a giant phallus, Paranoid London have successfully drawn an astute analogy between masculine dominance and the totalitarian dominance of the state, not to mention serve up three downright deviant acid slow burners. Featuring the unmistakable vocals of regular – and surely most trademark – collaborator Mutado Pintado, it’s a guaranteed floor-filler, unusually humorous for the pair’s austere, distorted repertoire.
6. Tammo Hesselink – Silicon (Blank Mind)
It’s been a big year for Tammo Hesselink. The Dutch producer had already made an impression with a run of deep cover drops on Nous’klaer Audio between 2019 and 2020, but 2022 has seen a steady stream of assured, consistent cuts that make clear the trajectory he’s working on. Now Blank Mind is carrying his latest – a rounded five-track EP which confirms he’s out in front when it comes to entrancing club gear without the trance. The phrases tend to be understated – a few notes repeated, mantra-like and coolly detatched – but they’re shaped and treated to spell out light and airy, sparsely populated futuristic spaces. When dance music is crafted in this way, it’s to take you inwards and away from the noise and distraction – to find calm in isolation, however packed the club might be. Whether that’s the intended outcome or not, it’s an effect Hesselink excels at.
7. Feral – Crossroads (Hypnus)
You really couldn’t ask for a better name for a label to put out the music of Rome’s Alessandro Barchitta than Hypnus. We’ve marvelled all year at the way he creates such understated but thoroughly fascinating music, how it appears to be on a literal, linear journey but yet so much is constantly changing. It’s a whole new side to techno that we’ve rarely seen, perhaps only via the occasional glimpse of Finnish label Sahko or Austria’s Cheap at their most experimental. Feral has made it his own, though, with the effect being similar to watching particles collide under a microscope or observing sea life from many miles under the sea’s surface.
Much like his peers (Batu, Bruce et al) Smith has made Ploy into something of a standalone phenomenon, wholly compatible with other current club music but very much pursuing his own sound. The past few years have confirmed that many times over as Smith’s work began to appear exclusively on his own Deaf Test label, run in tandem with some infamously heated parties at Venue MOT Unit 18 in Bermondsey, South London. It’s refreshing to see an artist placing importance on a physical dance as part of their creative arc, and it’s clear Smith is doing just that as he names his latest EP after the club he calls home.
9. Medline – Ne Suinte Pas La Technique (My Bags)
French-Chilean producer Medline has long been playing the crossover between hip-hop, soul, jazz funk and Latin. Considering his gifts as a multi-instrumentalist, it’s no surprise his tracks are bursting with expressive playing, but the real magic lies in how he applies these skills to the hip-hop template. That’s demonstrated beautifully here on this 7″ which is paying tribute to Eric B & Rakim, rendering ‘Don’t Sweat The Technique’ and ‘I Know You Got Soul’ as lush arrangements with all manner of instrumental ornamentation rendering the flow of the MCs on these bona fide classics.
10. Mike Ellison – Covalence (Underground Resistance)
As well as re-issuing a selection of pearls from the archives, the UR stable has recently been invigorated by a flurry of novel releases in recent months – the latest of which features a particularly alluring collaboration with spoken word artist, Mike Ellison. ‘Covalance’ appears in four versions here, beginning with a particularly buoyant remix from long-time UR affiliate, Mark Flash. His ‘Touch’ mix sees Ellison’s quickfire message presented over a classic Detroit house groove, with gritty beats embellished with analogue stabs, sweeping chords and propulsive Latin bass. Simultaneously timeless and fresh, the UR collective continue their ceaseless forward march with laser-sharp focus and the most profound of musical visions.
11. Trent – Devil’s Music Flies With Fire (Bless You)
Complimenting his production achievements, Luca ‘Trent’ Trentini gained traction for his selection work behind the controls at Greissmuhle’s Oscillator events alongside Budino, Dama and Italian icon, Beppe Loda, so it’s abundantly clear where he garnered his undeniable dance chops. His latest work picks up approximately where he left off, cooking up a pair of gorgeously off-kilter grooves that each overflows with sinister intent and saucer-eyed charm. Kicking things off, the yearning vocal line of ‘Devil’s Music Flies With Fire’ captivates as it swoops over the sonic bed that undulates beneath. Loose, Latin drums power the groove as throbbing bass adds body, while dub effects and weirdo sweeps dart across the twilight panorama. Dark, intense and kinetically charged, this is music with a forceful dance thrust. Over on the other side, the slower-paced but no-less compelling ‘Equinox’ completes the set, sharing the grubby sensibilities of the A-side while pitched at a more heads-down tempo. Full-bodied drums and pulsing bass creep under spooky vocal chants and freakish synth textures, the jarring melody serving as an irresistible siren song calling through the eternal darkness. Imaginative and striking, this is discerning club music designed to spark undulation among strobe-lit throngs.
12. Paradox – Streetbeat / Drum Throne (Paradox Music)
What’s most impressive is how Dev Pandya aka Paradox keeps a relatively constrained approach so compelling after all these years. How many ways are there to chop up some drum breaks in a danceable medley? The answer is near infinite, it would seem. ‘Streetbeat’ strides in around the 155 mark on a sparse hard step, almost polite in its restraint until a disgusting snarl of bass comes sliding in underneath. From there on in, the narrative is dictated by the breaks, punctuated with devilishly classy touches like the spinback at the mid-point punctuated with a deadpan, out-of-context ‘…uck the future”. ‘Drum Throne’ sees Pandya shifting down to a lower gear, rolling around 120 and giving the breaks more space to breathe. In some ways the airiness lets you savour every dexterous fill, crafty chop and micro-touch on the production, not least on the decay fluctuations coming off the end of the dread bass. With a breathless pad draped over of the second half, it becomes a curiously mixed affair leaning towards a lighter warm-up scenario with one eye on the darkest depths of the night thanks to that salacious low-end blast. Whenever you choose to play, though, is ultimately elementary – such masterful construction tends to cut through and justify its position wherever it shores up.
13. Alexander Robotnick – Problemes D’amour (Hot Elephant)
Electro pioneer real name Maurizio Dami aka Alexander Robotnick’s seminal ‘Problemes D’amour’ is revisited by Italian imprint, Hot Elephant, presented here in three essential new versions that include interpretations from Detroit titans Kenny Dixon Jr and Carl Craig. The Italian producer also delivers a live version and also included here is a cover of ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’, the dramatic orchestral track made famous by its inclusion in Stanley Kubrik’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Together with Florence-based artist Lapo Lombardi, under the Italcimenti moniker, it’s reframed as a cosmic techno joyride.
14. Haruomi Hosono / Vampire Weekend – Watering A Flower 2021 (Speedstar)
Rarely does the act of sampling – by one major music act of another – get so honored in the form of a one-off release. Vampire Weekend’s 2019 track ‘2021’ blended cut-up guitar and vocal one-shots, carefully woven around a peculiar sample that we wouldn’t have expected to have been sourced by the band. The intro to Haruomi Hosono’s ‘Talking’, one side of his 1984 cassette ‘Watering A Flower’, makes a stark appearance as part of the track’s backbone, forming its harmonic body – organs to the rhythmic skeleton added by hallowed weekender Ezra Koenig. Retaining more than just the original tape hue, the sampled version keeps every aspect of Hosono’s riff intact. Such a respectful reworking deserves recognition, and thus justifies this one-off 12” from Japan’s Speedstar. Now, the two moments in time are compiled, along with the newer 2021 version of the Vampire Weekend song, which removes the sample and merely interpolates the chords into a washier scape. This is a fascinating look at three disparate years – 84, 19 and 21 – and their effect on minimal pop music as a whole.
15. Wet Leg – Too Late Now (Soulwax Records) (Soulwax)
Spiky post-punk sorts Wet Leg have made some terrific records, but it would be safe to say that very few have been written and recorded with peak-time dancefloors in mind. Happily, the Deweale brothers are here to help, delivering two scorching Soulwax rubs of ‘Two Late Now’ from the Isle of Wight twosome’s much-loved debut album. In typical Soulwax fashion, the resultant vocal and instrumental versions are driving, energy-packed and analogue rich, with metallic melodies, raw bleeps and fizzing synth sounds riding a thrusting, all-action sequenced bassline and sweaty, jacking electro-house beats. It’s Wet Leg as you’ve never heard them before and has “massive peak-time anthem” written through it like a stick of rock.
16. Ink / Loxy / Resound – Irrelevant (Metalheadz)
This might be a new Metalheadz 12″ but it has a throwback, vintage feel to it – Loxy & Ink go first and serve up the superbly space-age sounds this label has always been known for on ‘Irrelevant’, before things get a little darker. Resound joins the fray for ‘Token’ and sinister sounds and menacing bass prevail. These are ageless tunes that will unite new and old heads alike. Essential stuff from the ever-green Metalheadz.
Remember the name and remember where you saw it first. That said, Benefits – the one man, Middlesbrough-based gammon-busting machine – has such a massive online presence that it seems hard to imagine that ‘Flag’ is his first and only appearance on vinyl to date. This is way up at the fierce end of the Benefits scale – tracks like ‘Imperfect and the movingly dour ‘Shit Britain’ will, when they get a proper release, no doubt do much more business. But ‘Flag’, a cauldron of post-Brexit rage at the politically conservative and closed minded and how they use patriotism as a cultural life-raft to cling onto as the rest of the world hurtle towards modernity, is rightly placed to land on top of the Jubilee celebrations.
18. Kyle Hall ‘Good Hado EP’ (Forget The Clock)
The ‘Good Hado EP’, as with so much of the best of Detroit’s electronic canon, dwells somewhere in the wondrous realms that occur somewhere betwixt deep house and techno, with tracks that range in tone from heads-down smokiness to strobe-lit warehouse abandon. Opening track ‘Moveable’ struts along with a delicious deep house bump, with metallic chords and growling synth bass set alongside a joyously swinging groove. Maintaining the backroom flow, ‘In Ya Mind’ shuffles along over glassy chords, shimmering strings, seductive sax motifs and low-slung bass as spoken word vocals augment the hazy atmospherics. Turning to the B-side, Kyle switches up the drums with the jagged rhythms of ‘Turquoise Wave’, where enigmatic pads and tension-building synth swells caress freeform bass over irresistibly broken beats. Finally, the altogether tougher ‘Weed Or Majik’ sees Hall surrender to the rhythm, as hard-edged drums and percussive synths cascade over a quick-fire tempo, with the full-bodied kick and crunching claps adding fuel to the fervour. Something to please a fair few palettes here, this is yet more stunning work from Kyle Hall.
19. ASC – Confluence Of Light (Spatial)
From the very beginning of opener ‘Sunless Sky’, jungle riffage is effortlessly embedded in nighttime bass, while sound effects echo and twirl about the midrange. The abyssal sonic trend continues through nightcalls ‘Cosmic Energy’, ‘Stargate’ and ‘Prophecy’. Likening drum n’ bass to the cosmos, as it should be, this is a monumentally spaced-out release that echoes a wide span of the classic 90s original roughneck jungle of ASC aka James Clements’ UK roots, like LTJ Bukem and Dillinja, but also a touch of the astral plane journeys more associated with his current home in California.
20. Delano Smith – Reconstructed (Carl Craig & Mike Huckaby mixes) (Sushitech)
A timely reissue of an eternal Detroit house classic, and one remastered by Yossi Amoyal and recut at MMM Berlin at that. Carl Craig and the late Mike Huckaby (RIP) remix of Delano Smith, with Craig taking on ‘Midnight Hours’ with dreamy synths and light, bouncy grooves blazing and some subtly dubby effects up his sleeve, and Huckaby’s version of ‘What I Do’ typified by a cute keyboard motif and some crunchy, crunchy snares. Another tour de force from Sushitech.
21. DJ K1 / DJ Maaco – Unidentifiable Beings (Puzzlebox)
Keith Tucker’s Puzzlebox Records has long been a beloved resource for in-the-know lovers of authentic electro/techno Detroit deepness. Originally set up alongside Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir way back in 1996, the quality threshold is set so very high that it’s difficult to tally the memorable moments to have arrived under the banner, with Tucker steering the ship himself. Here, he dons his familiar DJ K1 cap to present a suitably pleasing double-header with fellow Detroit heavyweight, Tameko ‘DJ Maaco’ Williams. A-side track ‘On My Computer’ sees K1 deliver a sinister slice of lo-fi electro that brims with neon-lit sleaze, while on the flip DJ Maaco adds a touch more funk to the intergalactic rhythms, with loosely-spun analogue chords and bass arpeggios joined by subtly distorted vocals and live-sounding handclaps over mischievously swung drums. Both tracks, as you’d expect. are endowed with a delightfully timeless quality,
22. D Knox – Meditation (Sonic Mind)
This 1996 original from Donnell Knox (D-Knox) is a curious case. Originally released on Jay Denham’s Black Nation Records, it now makes a triumphant return in the form of a remastered version by esteemed mastering engineer Tim Xavier. Now it’s been reissued on Knox’s own new label Sonic Mind, which pre-dates much of the musical landscape as we know it today. On the cusp of pre-millennium digital enlightenment, this gem of US techno is as scratchy as scratchy electronic music can get. It’s the sonic expression of a time when the gear wasn’t so refined, and when the spokes of the machinery used to make this kind of music weren’t so well-oiled yet. Contrary to the static measure of most techno, many of the tracks on ‘Meditation’ contain all of the shuffle and swing endemic to UK garage – but this EP comes from a different tradition, with Knox known more to be connected to the techno heydays of Chicago and Detroit, not London.
23. Morgan Geist – Duper (Environ)
Back in 2001, Geist’s ‘Super’ EP he released on his own Environ label could, alongside some of his other work, be described as defining a glistening moment in space and time. More than 20 years on, he presents a long-overdue follow-up to the record, with ’Duper’ sharing much with its still charming predecessor. Both EPs contain three varied but coherent cuts, with each led by a striking lead number. If in 2001 it was the sumptuous strings and stripped machine drums of ‘24K’ that won over the most admirers, then it’s likely ‘Twighlight Express’ will assume the floor-filling role here. The melodies are spellbinding, the bass intoxicating, and, once again, Kelly Polar performs and arranges majestic strings that powerfully elevate the music.
24. Intelligent Communication – Principles Of Motion (Jumpin and Pumpin)
As the annals of 90s electronics get ceaselessly combed for forgotten gems, it’s no surprise to find a record like ‘Principles Of Motion’ getting dusted down for a reissue, although it’s notably coming out on Jumpin’ & Pumpin’, the label who originally released the EP in 1991 and found success through releasing Cobain and Dougans aka Future Sound of London’s work. ‘Drive’ has perhaps the most direct link to current trends, with a dash of bleeps n’ breaks in its bones and a touch of transcendental magic which could go down very smooth with some of the rolling, trippy house gear doing the rounds at the moment. But of course, there’s a rough hewn quality which both reveals the age of the track and elevates it in the same beat. You could equally align the track with some of the classic break-powered techno that crept out of Detroit around this time, not least Carl Craig’s 69 tracks.
25. Ultramarine ft. Anna Domino – $10 Rework (Real Soon)
Anna Domino’s expression has always felt punkish – her vocals and production are always tempered by an anti-authoritarian, leisurely vibe. Likewise, her choice of collaborators tends to be just as apt. The bare-bones dub-garage-whatever tune ‘$10 Heel’ might as well exemplify this ideal the world over. In this case it makes up a collaboration with Ultramarine, the electronic duo who evolved out of the early rave scene – with a big dollop of influence from the 1970s Canterbury Scene. First released on their 2019 album ‘Signals Into Space’, the track is essentially what both Domino and Ultramarine have always set out to do as collaborators – make electronic music with acoustic instruments. A saxophone dances across the original track’s upper register, essentially making the whole thing sound like a sort of post-punky abstraction of the straighter broken beat style pushed by Moloko in the mainstream.
